Jessica is one of my dearest friends. She is smart, productive, creative and awesome to be around. He taught me how to make this when Jayne was a baby, and I'm so glad she did a tutorial on them! Enjoy!
We LOVE moccasins for our new babies. They are really soft and keep feet really warm too. Plus, they are a little tribute to part of my husband's Native American heritage. Since we have a little one coming in about 10 weeks, I needed to make her a pair to go with her blessing dress for this winter. And as a bonus, Sharon gets a tutorial for National Sewing Month.
Making a Pattern
First you need to make your pattern. To do this, trace who ever's foot the moccasins are going on, in order to get your length and width. For a 0 - 6 month moccasin you need it to be about 4 inches when you're all finished. I made mine about 4.25 inches long and about 2 to 2.25 inches wide for each side of the foot. You then make a pattern on paper like the one below. The yellow line is simply to show where I measured the length. The other lines for the tongue and the foot to be inserted will get cut. Notice that both sides of the moccasins are a mirror image of each other and when folded in half, the sides should be exactly the same, except one will have the lines for the tongue and foot insert cutouts.
Next you trace onto your fabric. I used white leather, but you could use felt for a slipper too. When tracing make sure you trace the pattern on one side (call it Side A) and then flip it over (Side B) before tracing the next side. This way you have a left and right moccasin. Cut out your shoes.
Bead Work
If you have never beaded before, it is easiest to choose a pattern that is geometric and in rows (think simple counted cross-stitch). You can trace the pattern onto the moccasin., or write it down on paper to refer to. I like to use 3 colors for a simple design. In addition to beads (use the same size for each color), you need strong thread, a thin needle (the eye has to go through the center of the beads you choose), and a lighter.
Start by inserting your threaded needle through the back side of the moccasins where ever you are starting your design. I started in the center since I was beading a circular design. Leave about a 1 inch tail of thread on the underside. Use your lighter to burn the thread and then press down on the end of it with the end of your lighter. This creates the knot and it is softer on the skin rather than a traditional sewing knot.
Start your design by putting about four beads on your needle (unless you are beading circular and you will use one bead for the center of the design). Side the beads down the thread until they meet the end of the thread next to the moccasin. Using your thumb, hold the beads in place where you want them to lay. Then put your needle down through to the underside exactly at the end of where you want the last bead to be. Then you will have the needle come back up about 2 - 3 beads back (this is a back stitch). When you come up through to the top if the fabric, you will then go through those 2 -3 beads again with the needle so that the thread is coming out the last bead. Then you do it again with your next 4 beads until you reach the end of your row. At the end of the row, instead of adding more beads, you will go straight down at the end of the last bead after you have back stitched. Then have the needle come up to where ever you are starting your next row. When you run out of thread or are finished, use your lighter to create a knot, just like you did at the first.
Here are my 4 beads on the needle.
Pulling them straight.
Back stitch then go through two beads again.
This was a little hard to take pictures of because my camera did not want to focus correctly. This is not my actual project but it is just to show you examples.
Sewing the Moccasin
Now that both moccasins are beaded, you are ready to sew it into a shoe. Fold it in half with right sides together. Starting at the toe, sew around the toe area back to heel. For leather, I hand sew it. For felt, you can use a machine. Try to keep seam allowances as small as possible.
Next sew up the back of the moccasin (right where the Achilles Tendon is). I start at the bottom of the heel and sew up. Then turn it right side out. As you can see they are starting to look like shoes.
Next you need a tongue and fringe. Measure the distance from the tongue to the top of where the shoe will wrap around the ankle to the height of the tongue. The width of the tongue is simply the length of the opening right above where you beaded. For the fringe, measure around the opening of the moccasin for length (mine was just under 5 inches). For the width, measure from the top to the side seam, then add about a 1/4 inch (Mine was around 1/5 inches). Cut these out of your fabric/leather.
This one is a little hard to see but look below and you will figure it out.
If you want to add bead work to the fringe do it now. I also cut a little frill along the top of mine to be more decorative.
Attach what will be the fringe around the outside of the shoe. Make sure that the decorative edge goes slightly above the shoe. After it is attached, cut vertical lines around it to create the fringe making sure you don't cut your beading threads. Next attach the tongue to the front of the shoe by sewing it with right sides together and then turning it out.
Finally you are ready to insert the laces. Cut a thin piece of leather or use some cording. I use my best guess for how long I want it to be taking into account the size of moccasin and how much of a loop I want on the bows. You need to cut two parallel slits in the tongue and a slit on each side of the moccasin under the fringe for the lace to go through. Insert your laces and you are finished.
Notice how the laces get threaded.
Finished Project
When working with leather these are more time consuming because of the hand sewing. If doing these out of felt for a slipper, these can be really simple depending on how much beading you do. Hope you enjoy!
